President Nelson Mandela officially received the Santa of the Year Award on Tuesday 5th December, when he met with the Greenland premier, mr. Lars Emil Johansen, and managing director of the Santa Claus of Greenland Foundation, mr. Peter F. Williams, in his office in Pretoria. The award consists of US$ 100,000 for charity programs among homeless children in South Africa, and Nelson Mandela recieved the donation with gratitude.
- This is a symbolic gesture of solidarity from a people far away, the nation of Greenland. But it's also a very concrete contribution to our effords. Your donation makes a difference, the president stressed.
President Mandela immediately transferred the donation to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund which was established shortly after he was elected president in 1994. President Mandela contributes one-third of his salary to the Children's Fund each month. Companies in Greenland had donated the US$ 100,000 to be given to President Nelson Mandela.
The delegation from Greenland also brought the full-size figure of Santa Mandela to Pretoria's Union Building. "Oh, it's wonderful", said President Mandela when the statue appeared in his office, dressed in a red and white furlined Santa Claus costume and traditional Greenlandic seal-skin boots. Press photographers and tv crews was allowed into the office when President Nelson Mandela took a closer look at the fellow Santa Nelson Mandela at the end of the 30 minutes meeting. Pictures from the event were broadcasted worldwide by CNN and Reuters.
The Santa Mandela statue is now at display in the office of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund in Johannesburg.
The statue was first revealed October 28 during the Santa Summit in Ilulissat, Greenland, when live Santa's from all around the world brought the statue by helicopter to the Greenland ice cap and declared President Nelson Mandela to be the first recipient of the Santa of the Year Award. South Africa's ambassador to Denmark, Mr. Conrad Sidego, was present at the occasion.
The delegation from Greenland, which also included representatives of Royal Greenland, The Bank of Greenland, Greenlandair Inc. and the Home Rule Government's Minerals Office, was received by South Africa's foreign minister, Mr. A.B. Nzo, upon arrival Monday 4th December. This meeting was covered in a report from Reuters News Agency, by the tv-news from South African Broadcasting Corporation and by the leading South African newspapers.
About the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund
Reuter report from meeting with Foreign Minister Nzo
About the Santa of the Year Award
About the Santa Summit
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